


The Perfect Crime

by themoonandmargot



Category: Rhett & Link
Genre: Gen, M/M, Some gory stuff but nothing too explicit, criminals au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-09
Updated: 2017-01-09
Packaged: 2018-09-15 23:28:41
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,080
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9263606
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/themoonandmargot/pseuds/themoonandmargot
Summary: The man’s huge luggage was probably brimming with souvenirs from wherever he just visited. That, or the man traveled so often that the bustling airport was nothing new to him. Either way, the man had more money in that bag than Rhett would ever have in his bank account.





	

The man was tall. He had that going for him. But he wasn’t nearly as tall, nor as muscled. Fairly quiet and even more twitchy around strangers. The perfect victim for a perfect crime.

He must have just gotten off a plane, considering how calm he was. The pre-flight passengers were always rushing, always a bit more jittery. If that were the case, the man’s huge luggage was probably brimming with souvenirs from wherever he just visited. That, or the man traveled so often that the bustling airport was nothing new to him. Either way, the man had more money in that bag than Rhett would ever have in his bank account.

The man traveled alone, with nobody to help him drag that massive suitcase around the airport. The sight of the man huffing and puffing with his luggage in tow only made Rhett more excited. Any moment now, the dark-haired man would let go of that handle and turn back to see his luggage lost among the crowd. This would surely be a big gain for Rhett, if he actually could work up the courage to do it.

Rhett followed the man around the entire airport, making sure to stay back a safe distance at all times. He first stopped by a Starbucks to get a pastry and a hot cup of coffee. Rhett watched the man rest at a small table. Having nothing to eat for the past 24 hours, Rhett was angered to see this scrawny _asshole_ pick at the blueberries in his scone. For a second, Rhett was convinced this man deserved to have his belongings stolen. Just so he knew what it was like. What it was like to have nothing.

Eventually, the man stood up to toss his demolished scone in the trash ( _asshole,_ Rhett thought again) and he scurried away. Rhett saw the man hurry down an escalator and reach the ground floor. Rhett bounded for him, only to be stopped by an unhurried group of elders on the escalator. The greying lady in front of him ignored—or more plausibly, failed to hear—his griping. Rhett feared the man along with his costly luggage were already too far from his grasp. He stepped off the escalator with not an idea where the man could be. The tremors in Rhett’s hands came back even stronger now. As hordes of strangers parted around him, Rhett scolded himself for his incompetence. “Thirty minutes,” he inwardly hissed. “Thirty minutes spent following a stranger, and now he’s gone.”

Rhett turned back towards the main lobby of the airport in search for another suitcase to swipe, but he was startled to find himself bumping into the very man he was looking for.

All the air escaped from Rhett’s lungs. The man’s eyes were bright and blue and shy, flickering downwards as he mumbled a “sorry” before walking past Rhett. He headed towards the automatic sliding doors that led to the parking lot, and after a moment of consideration, Rhett followed after him. Outside, the man stood amidst a crowd and typed on his phone with his luggage standing unprotected beside him. His heart pounding, Rhett made his way through the people until he was three, two, one step away from the man. Rhett was so close, already touching the suitcase’s handle, but then he felt the brush of fingertips against his own hand.

A flurry of curse words flew through Rhett’s mind as the thief jogged through the crowd, oblivious to the crime he just committed. He waited for the man to yell after him, but he heard nothing. Instead, Rhett looked over his shoulder and spotted the man thundering towards him. _Shit._

Rhett was sprinting now, all while trying to forget the image of those vicious eyes. It should’ve been easy, stealing a suitcase from someone like him. But this man was clearly different.

Rhett hadn’t ran this much since college, and even then he never lugged around a huge suitcase while doing so. He scrambled into the full parking lot and ducked behind a truck. As he caught his breath, he peeked out to discover the man was nowhere in sight. Rhett looked back at the luggage. “Damn thing better be worth it,” he scoffed, reaching into one of the small zipper compartments. He pulled out a pornographic magazine then stuffed it back in with a shrug of his shoulders; it could be useful later.

He was about to sneak away when a hand gripped him by the collar and slammed him against the concrete wall. Those murderous eyes stared into him once more.

“What do you think you’re doing?” the man growled.

Rhett clawed at the man and shrieked, “Damnit, let go! You can have your stupid bag back!”

“Why’d you take it in the first place?”

“Why else would I take it? I’m broke and desperate!” Rhett gruffed, struggling to escape from the man’s surprisingly strong hold.

“Desperate, huh?” the man repeated, stepping back from Rhett cautiously. “Fine. If you’re desperate to get at that bag, go ahead and open it. And don’t you even dare run away.”

Rhett slowly bent down to unzip the luggage before asking, “Why would I run away?”

“Open it,” the man urged while crossing his arms.

Rhett tugged at the zipper and was immediately hit with a putrid smell. Then he saw the crimson color that poured out the suitcase onto his hands and clothes. It was wet, sticky, and almost warm.

“Aw, what the hell?” Rhett groaned once he saw all of it. Mutilated limbs, stained red, laid in a pool of bloody paste. Wedged in the corner of the luggage was a decapitated head, its long brown hair snaking down its pale face in soggy clumps. Rhett leaned away with a hand on his stomach.

“You’re gonna help me get rid of her. I’ll pay you, too.”

“How much?” Rhett whispered.

Link cocked his head in thought. “Five.”

“Hundred?” Rhett sputtered.

“Thousand.”

“Five thousand dollars,” Rhett wondered aloud. “And what if I say no?”

“Then you’re joining her,” the man replied with a smile.

Rhett zipped up the luggage and sighed. “Who are you, anyway?”

“Uh, Chris.”

Rhett rose an eyebrow. “You sure?”

“…Charles. Link. Just call me Link.”

“Okay, Link. I’m Rhett,” he introduced, offering the man a bloody hand. “And I’m absolutely terrified to do business with you.”

Link clapped his hand against Rhett’s. “Good. Now get in my car, we’re visiting the junkyard.”

**Author's Note:**

> I sure do love Partners in Crime AU, don't you?
> 
> I originally wrote this for another pairing but I revamped it to fit RandL. I haven't planned a second part to this, but maybe if you guys like it I'll write a continuation? Either way, thanks for reading! I'd love to see your responses in the comments! *wink wink*


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